Vehicle wheels, particularly wheels for large construction vehicles, may be of a split rim type construction. Such a split rim facilitates mounting and dismounting of tires in that the rim members are positioned in relation to the tire, rather than stretching the tire over the rim member with the possibility of damaging the tire. Split rim assemblies present a particular hazard while dismounting a tire from the vehicle wheel when the tire has not been fully deflated. In a partially inflated condition, release of fastening bolts presents a possibility of serious injury to the individual effecting the tire removal by a sudden parting of the rim members and the possibility of attaching bolts or a rim member being catapulted with considerable force toward the individual so removing the tire. In order to avoid this hazard, various rim assemblies have been developed to prevent disassembly of the wheel prior to deflation of the tire. Typical of these safety means is a locking member associated with the means for inflating or deflating the tire. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,658 wherein a locking plate must be aligned with a locking pin member. Although the locking plate described therein serves properly to prevent removal of the tire prior to deflation, the plate must itself be physically removed from the rim and set to one side before further disassembly may proceed.